"Based on a review in MaximumPc magazine, I decided to check out Maingear and decided on a purchase of two VYBE limited edition machines and a monitor for one of them.

The machines were custom built and were shipped after about a week and a half. They arrived in very good condition, Maingear put documentation and software in a very nice binder with some installation instructions which could be very useful for someone with limited PC knowledge.

The monitor that I purchased was not in stock, so I was recommended an alternate monitor that was comparable in specifications without USB ports. This was acceptable to me as I do not intend to make use of USB ports on my monitor and as it was a downgrade, the Inventory Manager handling my order offered a fair refund.

There were some delays in shipping of the monitor resulting from a problem with their distributor, but the monitor did arrive in good condition. Though I had to proceed to follow-up with Maingear so that the refund did not get lost in accounting, I did receive the check in the mail and headache notwithstanding, I would return to purchase from Maingear in the future. I am very happy with the quality of their workmanship and would certainly recommend them."

"I did a substantial amount of research before purchasing a system from maingear. I especially wanted a company that other reviewers said I would actually be able to get help and not scripts from.

The system has run great for me.

I called because I had a problem with my headset that I was not able to troubleshoot on my own, and Gus was patient and helpful and was able to fix the problem.

I would recommend this company."

"Chris was great at helping me to configure the system I needed, always nice and patient, and actually helped me to lower the cost according to my needs.

One day Jonathan, one of the owners, answered the phone; during the long and nice conversation we had, I told him about my concerns about damages during shipping, and asked if I could go there and pick it up myself, since I live in NYC. He not only welcomed me to visit their office and pick up the computer, but offered to have the computer delivered to me by one of his workers. No fees, no charges. That’s class!

The computer was delivered by a very nice and courteous guy; I think his name is Dan, he came up the 3 flights of stairs and placed the computer in my living room; with a nice smile, he asked if I needed any more help. It was better than the last “white glove” delivery I paid (a lot) for when I bought a HDTV. By the way, I got the computer 3 days before the expected SHIPPING date.

As promised by Chris - “for your configuration you'll have an
extremely silent computer” – my F131 is totally silent, I mean 0 noise! I was very worried about having a loud computer, needless to say, I’m extremely happy.
I asked if I could have an Earthwatts 650 PSU installed, instead of the NSpire 650 (for green reasons), Chris told me, “No problem”. I got it, no extra charges.

I’ve been using the computer for more than a week now, and since I’m not an expert, I had to make some phone calls to tech support, for help with some basic configurations with the monitor and the speakers -- even though I didn’t buy it from Maingear -- and with the BIOS. Gus (who speaks great Portuguese), was always ready, patient, very knowledgeable and helpful. The 3 or 4 times I called, I was connected immediately, no waiting, no boring music, no wasted time.

All I can say is that I am EXTREMELY happy with my purchase, and especially with MAINGEAR.

I’ll be opening a small business in the next 8-10 months, and without any doubts, Maingear will be my only choice for computers.

What a great pleasure it has been to do business with you guys!

Thank you very much to ALL of you at Maingear!


- MAINGEAR F131 / Asus-P6X58D-E / Eartwatts 650 PSU / ATI Radeon HD 5750 1GB / Intel i7-930 2.8GHz / Zalman CNPS 9500 fan cooler / 6GB Kingston HyperX Triple-Channel DDR3-1600MHz Low Latency / WD1002FAEX - 1.0TB Western Digital Caviar Black SATA 6G 7200rpm 64MB Cache / Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit / All-in-One Integrated USB 2.0 Flash Card Reader & Writer / 24X Dual Layer DVD RW Drive w/ LightScribe Technology
"

"I give Maingear the highest possible grade. I received my X-Cube almost 3 weeks ago. I am extremely pleased with its performance: it runs at least as well as my research on its components suggested it should. (i7-860 and a single ATI 5870.) The only problem has been that it would not hook up to my home wireless network at first. Tech support was superb: I called just before closing but the tech stayed on the line for almost an hour fixing it. It has stayed fixed. Embarrassingly, I again called tech support a few nights ago and kept a tech way past closing only to discover that it was not the PC at all but instead a bad HDMI right-angle connector I had installed two days before. Nevertheless, this episode is additional evidence of wonderful support. In both cases the techs were patient and super knowledgeable. I also had a good experience with their billing. There were two configuration changes made after the initial order, requiring a refund of part of the initial payment. A check for this amount was promptly mailed. In summary, their support is superb. Of note: they respond to phone requests much faster than email. Maximum time on hold seems to be about 10 seconds!"

"Fantastic company with world-class customer support. I ordered one laptop, and was so impressed by the quality of the product and support that I ordered a second not long after. I made an excellent decision to go with them, I am extremely happy about it. Their prices are very competitive for a boutique business, especially considering the quality of hardware that you are getting. There is no re-branded junk in here or stripped down hardware made especially for some of the cookie-cutter companies. You get what you pay for in spades."

"Dealing with MAINGEAR has been nothing short of a phenomenal experience. From the initial call where I placed my order, to the follow-up I have been receiving after the product was delivered, I have never had an experience of service that is even remotely comparable.

The truly-stated Angelic Service aside, the system delivered has been beyond all expectations. In an age of 'quick product for quick money', it is downright refreshing to actually see genuine care and pride put into a product.

MAINGEAR is an organization that I fully endorse and recommend to anyone interested in more than a fast food drive-thru computer equivalent.

MAINGEAR: Top-notch people delivering top-notch care and top-notch products."

"I purchased a $3,500 gaming computer from Maingear computers on 4/3/2008, and have been very satisfied with my system - it has been running without issue for the last 2 years. Recently I had trouble with one of my video cards (it’s a SLI system), and needed to call for support for the first time.

I must say that I was pleasantly surprised: I talked to Ivan, who was really great – he diagnosed my problem in about 2 minutes, walked me through the solution, and took extra care to make sure that my system was up and running before he ended the call – and (since it was close to the end of business hours) he even gave me his personal cell phone number so I could contact him with any follow-up issues (!).

I’m sorry to say that my support experience went downhill from that moment on... As mentioned above, my system had a bad video card, and I had to send it back for replacement. This process has been pretty miserable and time consuming for me, and after a month, has yet to be resolved.

I included a timeline below, but I have found that the inventory manager (Daniel, who handles RMA’s) is hard to reach, doesn’t return phone calls, and doesn’t make resolving his own errors a priority. This is very disappointing to me – Maingear is a good company, with great technical support – but based on this experience, I would have a hard time recommending to anyone that they pay the premium they ask for their products and services.

4/10/2010 - Video card diagnosed as defective by Ivan. Ivan walks me through the removal of the defective card and gets my system up and running with the remaining card in my SLI system. The Inventory manager isn’t in the office on weekends, so Ivan indicates that someone will contact me on Monday.

4/12/2010 – I am emailed by Daniel Cruz, who gives the information I need to send back the defective card.

4/15/2010 – I mailed the card back to Maingear.

4/27/2010 – I get the replacement card... It is the wrong model. It’s not as powerful as the original card, and will not SLI with the other video card in my system. I am on PST so I email support.

4/29/2010 – I never get a response to my email, so I call support and talk to Daniel, who tells me that it’s an ‘honest mistake’ and will send out a replacement card ‘in the next couple of days’.

5/10/2010 – I have not received my replacement card, so I call Daniel for a status – he is not in, so I leave a message.

5/11/2010 – No response from Daniel, so I call again. Daniel is again unavailable so I leave another message.

5/12/2010 – Still no response from Daniel.

The bottom line is that I have a warranty on a system that broke a month ago, and there is no resolution in sight – I don’t expect miracles, but I think it’s quite reasonable to expect timely resolution to my problem or at least a phone call if that’s not possible.

* * * * * * *

Update: 5/17/2010
Problem resolved... I ended up getting the correct replacement video card on 5/12, and my PC is back to normal. I have been contacted by Maingear several times over the last couple of days, and they have demonstrated to me that they not only regret this unfortunate series of events, but also take such occurrences quite seriously.

Despite an unpleasant experience, I still believe that Maingear is a good company that understands product quality and customer service is what separates them from their competitors. I will be shopping for a new computer early next year, and they will most likely earn my business.

"

"Maingear has an excellent website with easy to understand choices for your computer needs. They are also quite willing to address any concerns you may have, including meeting specific requests. They were flexible enough with me to actually try out some new ideas and components.

This may or may not be typical, but I wanted my pc to be as quiet as humanly possible while being an excellent gaming machine that was air cooled. I'm also a minimalist at heart, so the simpler the better. I accepted that the wait would be longer than normal for my pc as all the parts were special order, and they had to source everything anew.

In spite of this, they had my pc shipped out in 27 days! Additionally, they provided me with remote service to fix a simple problem I had with Win7. I was used to WinXP and I'm still getting used to all the differences. I must say that they have been extremely patient and helpful. I am much more than just satisfied with my new pc! I am also quite happy with the service that Maingear has provided and I feel confident that they will continue to do so."

"Great computer...great people...Everyone is very helpful.
I would expect I will be a long time customer."

"I spent a lot of time reading reviews trying to find the right company to build my next system. I had specific requirements, which I sent to MAINGEAR over e-mail. Within a couple of hours I had a reasonable response to all of my questions, and a pretty good idea of the system I would choose.

In fact, they even made me aware of some new products that would be available soon which would be an even better match for my requirements (passively cooled video). I waited for that to arrive and ordered my system through the online configurator.

I received my SHIFT yesterday and set it up last night. Wow. This thing is incredible in every way.

Of course I knew the dimensions going in, but you don't really start to appreciate the size of the machine until the box arrives. And once you take it out of the box that feeling doesn't go away, nor does the pain in your back when you try to lift it! Seriously, it's a monster. It's a stunningly beautiful sleeping giant. It's a shame that it sits under my desk.

The little touches included with it go a long way. I really enjoyed flipping through the binder that holds the media, the build checklist and all of the original manuals. And thanks for including the extra cabling, Crossfire accessories and mount/case screws for future upgrades.

When I first plugged it in (before actually turning it on), some red and blue LEDs on the inside of the case came on to report that they were happily receiving juice. That was really neat. It practically screamed for me to turn it on. After connecting everything, that's just what I did.

Then nothing.

Wait, no. It's running! It's so quiet that I thought it hadn't come on. I should be clear and say that it's not completely silent, but the low frequency noise coming out of the top of the box is only noticeable if you're listening for it.

And it came right up to the desktop. Fast. In fact it's so fast that the usual Windows boot screens just blink past, you can't even read them. (It has one of the new Crucial SSD drives.) And of course there was no bloat. Just an optional Office-like installation (I didn't actually run it; what is it, OpenOffice?)

There were some other nice touches here too. The wallpapers for one. And thanks for having black background options. And in my Documents folder, there are screenshots showing my systems' results from 3D Mark and several other benchmarks and burn-in tests. Cool.

Tinkered with a few games, just to see how it would take it. I opted for some "lower powered" 5750s in Crossfire to take advantage of the passive cooling. I tried Dragon Age, Mass Effect 2 and Trine. (If it's not on Steam, I probably don't play it!) It handled anything I threw at it, at 1920x1200 with all of the settings maxed out. And since these video cards are passively cooled, the hardly noticeable low frequency noise coming from the chassis never changes. The air coming out of the top of the chassis warms a bit, but nothing concerning at all. Coming from a 6 year old system with a few upgrades to this beast totally spoils me.

Another very happy MAINGEAR customer. 3 weeks was definitely worth the wait."

"Maingear has excellent phone support. Before purchasing I talked to someone about my needs and he recommended the right computer with the right upgrades.

After a few days of using the computer a problem started happening, the computer was restarting itself and reporting errors. I called Maingear and quickly got a hold of a technical assistant. Unfortunately the error was too serious and the computer needed to be sent back. They emailed me a pre-paid shipping label and I mailed the computer back. It turns out it was a faulty motherboard. This is a part they purchase from Intel. They claim they tested it, which I believe because the computer worked, but once in a while (sometimes 2 times a day, sometimes 1 time in 3 days) this problem appeared, not something they really could have found unless they left the computer on 24/7 for a couple of days. At no cost to me they fixed the problem and paid for shipping both ways.

Overall I am extremely satisfied with their support. Obviously sometimes parts come bad from the manufacturer, the important thing is how its handled from there. 5 stars to Maingear for how they handled this problem.

My only complaint is their email support. If you email them don't expect a response. When I first ordered, I emailed them on a saturday asking if my order was delayed (they sent an email saying they were moving and some orders would be delayed). I got a response saying someone would answer by monday. I didn't hear by wednesday so I emailed again. Still no answer so I finally sent an email saying I was really unhappy, and I finally heard back.

Since then I've emailed them about the issues the computer was having. I received no responses. It should be noted that these emails were AFTER I already talked to them on the phone. They were more like "follow up on the phone support" email, but a response would have been nice especially since one email contained a request.

This really shouldn't be a problem because their phone support is excellent (almost 0 hold time). It is still slightly annoying to send emails off only to be ignored though.

Overall I give them a 9/10"

"I have bought several custom built gaming machines over the years; my experience with Maingear was the best. Very easy to use the web site to research info; and inquiries to talk about configuring a PC were promptly answered. I received personal attention from the CIO himself (not uncommon, I have learned).

You can tell that these guys are true enthusiasts. I found the guys to be very patient and flexible. They are also quick to recommend configuration ideas to save you money. They will not oversell you. If you are on a budget, they will have lots of ideas for you.

When I went to pick up my PC in person (I live close enough to MG), everyone was very friendly, let me look around the shop, and treated me like an old buddy. A great vibe at MG, and the machines are made with great care. They say they build them as if they are making one for themselves; its true. When the guys helped me load my new Shift into the back of my van, they were so careful; this is a small thing I noticed, but it told me volumes about their real passion for this equipment. I think they really love what they do.

After I got my machine, I had a few minor questions, had an issue getting an external drive to be recognized (for example). MG helped me out right away with a quick and complete answer that had my issue in the rear view mirror in no time. Maingear is not the cheapest place to buy a PC. But, in my view you get what you pay for. They really stand behind their product (free lifetime labor and phone support) and its built with great attention to detail.

I highly recommend Maingear if you are in the market for a high-end gaming PC. If you are a hardware geek like me, you will find yourself among kindred spirits. If you are a gamer who does not know much about the hardware, you will find them to be patient tutors to help you with your decisions. Can't say enough good things about Maingear."

"I ordered my Maingear PC and I absolutely enjoy it.My PC is a pleasure to work/play on.
The customer service is above and beyond any other business I have dealt with in a very long time. They go out of their way to make your purchase, buying experience and any assistance you need easy and worry free. I would definately recommend a Maingear product to anyone looking for a great system and purchase that is backed by GREAT customer service. Thanks again Gus for making my decision to go with a Maingear painless and worry free! If you are looking for a nice system and a customer support second to none, I highly recommend Maingear. ;)"

"My order was officially placed on January 4 and very timely shipped on January 23. To each of my pre-sales and post-sales call there has been an extremely prompt response by someone who was gracious, helpful and 100% new what they were talking about. Everytime I was inclined toward buying options I didn't really need for my application (e.g., faster memory or bigger power supply), they encouraged me to save my money. The product arrived in perfect condition, installed easily, and had worked beautifully since day 1. I have been purchasing computers for 20 plus years from the likes of Gateway, Dell, Velocity and the typical custom builder down the street but these guys put everyone else to shame. Four star performance without any doubt.

Jay"

"I recently purchased a Maingear shift PC and had some display problems with my HP monito and the ATI video card. I called Maingear customer support and they were very helpful. First off there was no waiting to get help, as soon as I called I had a person on the phone helping me out. The Maingear rep walked me through updating the ATI catalyst control center and solved my problem within 15 minutes. My whole experience with Maingear from the sales department to customer service has been very positive. "